a legacy
by LittlePineCone
Summary: five little birdies and their claim to fame / aka the robin mantle and those who upheld it in the official dc universe before the reboot / or what sets each hopeful child apart from the rest / (5/5) / celebrating gotham's hope
1. nightwing

**i. dick grayson**

it all starts with

falling.

horrible, horrible falling.

screaming and falling,

and falling and screaming.

then splat.

.

dead.

.

you can't

even comprehend.

it's a blur,

a rush of black, black, black,

and _red_.

.

so much red.

.

then it's not.

suddenly everything

stops

and you don't feel anything.

nOtHiNg.

you are just

numb.

.

Your tears,

they fall,

but much like the colours,

it blends to

black and grey and white and nothing.

.

you are richard grayson

.

( _robin_ may have been a term of endearment; after that dreadful day, it becomes a city's hope.)


	2. red hood

**ii. jason todd**

sometimes,

you don't know

right from wrong.

good from bad,

the lines just always

seem to

melt away into

one.

.

except, sometimes you do.

.

blood is bad.

blood means

something is wrong.

then again,

it's not

always your blood.

sometimes it's someone else's,

someone bad.

that's the only time

it's okay.

.

batman doesn't get that.

.

your blood

means vengeance,

criminal's blood

means success.

.

why doesn't he get that?

.

it's simple.

but it's not

and now you're dead.

dead.

dead dead dead dead dead.

 _dead._

.

you were jason todd.

.

( _robin is_ your death sentence; the moment your happiness descends into madness)


	3. red robin

**iii. timothy drake**

you

are a genius.

that's a fact.

you are so so smart.

how else would you

know

everything you do?

.

batman and bruce wayne what ties could be there?

.

solving things

it's what you do

puzzles, mysteries

it's all the same to

you

.

brilliant brilliant brilliant mind

.

then you solve the

impossible

you figure out

just who

the dark knight

is

.

you discover

a secret

few have known

.

spread your wings and fly

.

bullies

they can't hurt you

anymore

.

you red little bird, the third

.

finally

you are strong

you can rise above

except

you can't tell anyone

.

you are timothy drake.

( _robin_ is what you got for knocking on that door; coincidently it also got you a brick to the face)


	4. spoiler

**iv. stephanie brown**

daddy's a

bad man.

he's done some

terrible things.

and it's up to you to

clean up his mess.

just like every other night.

so get your

metaphorical broom and sweep

the dirt away.

.

the scum will never disappear, sadly.

.

you spoil his plots,

but he always seems

to come back for

more.

such a glutton.

.

purple, you think you like eggplant purple.

.

you have a baby

you cannot keep,

but the boy

who helped you through it all,

the boy who wasn't

the father

yet was still there,

he you can

keep.

.

until he leaves, and you're left filling his shoes.

.

the stop light colours

don't suit

you like your

pretty purple.

.

just like two, you die.

.

you were stephanie brown.

.

( _robin_ had been validation; until it wasn't, and you were left in pieces)


	5. robin (the son)

**v.** **damian wayne**

demon.

you little demon-child.

son of a dark knight

means nothing

since you're part

al ghul

.

little boy it's alright

.

it don't matter

that you're the

rightful heir

it don't matter

cause no one cares

.

these people, your family

.

none of them care

because who

cares

about the little boy wonder?

the little assassin?

.

no one, that's who.

.

you don't have to

like them,

no,

you just have to prove

you are better than them

and show father

you are

worthy

you always were.

.

superior to the rest

.

you don't need

silly emotions

you don't need

happiness

.

you need mother and father, loving each other and you

.

grayson

todd

drake

brown

are useless

compared to you

why don't they

understand?

why doesn't anyone see?

.

you deserve the legacy

.

you are damian wayne

.

( _robin_ is your birth right; it's not but you pretend it is)


End file.
